Restoration Spoils Mausoleum of Cyrus the Great

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http://www.cais-soas.com/News/2008/November2008/21-11.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restoration or Destruction? Crude Restoration Spoils Authenticity of the Mausoleum of Cyrus the Great

 

 

 

21 November 2008

 

 

LONDON, (CAIS) -- Recently, the authentic character of the Cyrus the Great’ mausoleum has been seriously compromised during an inept restoration project.

 

A portion of the stone in the ceiling of the mausoleum have been cut and replaced with a new piece during the project, an expert of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO), who wished to remain anonymous for his safety.

 

“Even natural factors such as wind and storms were not able to cause this kind of damage,” he added.

 

The restoration project had been scheduled to be carried out by a team of Italian experts according to an agreement signed during the administration of former Islamic Republic’s president Mohammad Khatami.

 

However, an Iranian group was substituted for the Italian team after a new administration came to CHTHO under current President, Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

 

The Iranian team led by Hassan Rahsaz began the project about two years ago.

 

“Rahsaz has learned restoration from on-the-job experience and he doesn’t have a relevant academic qualification,” the CHTHO expert said.

 

“During the project, he made many mistakes, the most important of which is related to the ceiling of the Mausoleum of the Cyrus the Great,” he added.

 

It took only one month to restore the ceiling of the monument, said another CHTHO expert, who also preferred to remain anonymous.

 

“While if the restoration of the ceiling was carried out based on scientific methods, it would have lasted in two years,” he added.

 

He described the replacement of the stone of the ceiling as “the kiss of death” at the monument.

 

The experts said that the restoration should be done by repairing the pieces of stones and mortar that have separated from the monument over the time.

 

Meanwhile, the director of the Parsa and Pasargadae Research Foundation (PPRF), which is responsible for all restoration and study projects in the ancient site, believes that the restoration carried out on the ceiling of the mausoleum is of high standard.

 

“The restoration is one the best of its kind carried out in this country,” Mohammad-Hassan Talebian noted.

 

He described the latest rainfall as a “good test” of the restoration, adding, “The restoration prevented rain from leaking into the mausoleum during the latest rainfall, so the opinion is based on scientific evidence.”

 

“A report containing details of the restoration project has been sent to UNESCO; if there was problem with the method used for restoration of the monument, they would certainly have notified us of a problem,” Talebian said.

 

Located in Iran’s southern province of Fars, the Mausoleum of Cyrus the Great is one of the main sites of Pasargadae, and was registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2004.